Sunday, November 30, 2014

I Samuel 17:46-47 - "This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand."

Ephesians 6:12 - For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Philippians 2:9-11 - Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

I Peter 1:8-9 - Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Dear God, I am wearing out in the midst of the spiritual battle. Please help me. Continue to grow my trust in You. Thank You for the joy You have given me even while I am in the battle. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Isaiah 9:6 - For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

John 20:19-21 - On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you."

Dear God, help me to never leave the path of peace, Your peace, during life's journey. Peace during the hard times is a good thing. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Jeremiah 31:2-3 - Thus says the Lord: "The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest, the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you."

Lamentations 3:22-23, 25-26 - The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Dear God, thank You for Your eternal love. Continue to teach me how to be still in Your presence. Continue to grow my trust in You. Help things come to resolution with Tom. Help keep my family financially provided for. Help my doctors figure out how to best treat me and to not be afraid to try to get insurance to cover the treatment that is needed the most. Help me to continue showing You to my mom. Keep giving me courage to press on. The storms are raging. Help me get through them. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Psalm 32:8 - I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

Luke 10:41-42 - But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."

Philippians 3:20-21 - But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Dear God, help me with any problems that come my way during any day. And help me to see that they will pale in comparison to my home in Heaven. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Isaiah 40:11 - He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

Isaiah 58:11 - And The Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 58:11 (ICB) - The Lord will always lead you. He will satisfy your needs in dry lands. He will give strength to your bones. You will be like a garden that has much water. You will be like a spring that never runs dry.

Dear God, thank You for Your peace that You share with me. I do need You, and I will be the first to acknowledge that. Thank You for being with me. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Psalm 107:21-22 - Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of men! And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!

Ephesians 3:14-19 - For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith-that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

I Peter 5:7 - ...casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Dear God, thank You for always loving me perfectly! Thank You for taking care of me. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Psalm 100:4-5 - Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

Acts 9:18-19 - And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened.

Colossians 3:15 - And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Revelation 19:3-6 - Once more they cried out, "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever." And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" And from the throne came a voice saying, "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great." Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns."

Dear God, help me to stay focused on You. Help me to just relax and let You take the wheel. How fitting this passage is that it fell on Thanksgiving Day this year. Thank You for allowing me to outlive the doctor prognosis placed on me at birth by 31 years now. I may not be the healthiest, but I am alive. Thank You for my precious furbabies, Katie and Molly. Undoubtedly, they would not have lived as long as they have if not for You placing them in my life. Not only do I have special needs, but so do they. Thank You for teaching me ACTIVE grace. Thank You for teaching me REAL compassion. Thank You for teaching me that generosity isn't just about giving money, but giving time and energy to truly just be there for others. And yes, thank You for Tom, who even though he has yet to ask for forgiveness or to forgive me, he will eventually because he is a wise person who does care. I know that in my heart. Thank You also for my mom, who understands me better than many others ever will. Help her find a new job soon so she will not worry about where the money for bills will come from. And thank You for Dee at the library who is allowing me to volunteer one day a week right now to help me get accustomed to doing something that will build endurance and might eventually lead to a job. She is a very wise woman who has found some of my many strengths. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Psalm 46:1 - God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 - Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off form the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

Dear God, thank You for the love You have for me and the joy You bring to me even in the midst of adversity. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Matthew 28:19-20 - "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Luke 24:36 - As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, "Peace to you!"

Hebrews 13:15 - Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

Dear God, the best gift I ever got was the gift of life. And for that I am very thankful. It is not an easy life, but it is a life I will not trade for all the gold in the world. I have been allowed to outlive the expectations that doctors had for me by 31 years now. Thank You God that Your gifts are even more perfect than that. I cannot wait until I have all those gifts. your gifts are good and perfect. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Psalm 62:8 - Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 3:14-19 - For this reason I now my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith–that you, being rooted and grounded in live, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height an depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Dear God, thank You God for not grading me. If I were being graded by You, I would be in a panic because there are undoubtedly times that I do not quite make the grade. Hearing things like "why doesn't she get it, she's so smart?!?" or "act your age!" are the world's way of grading people. Even autistics seem to get graded. "You're so smart, you can't be autistic!" or "you can use the bathroom by yourself, you must not have autism!" If only everyone would stop comparing themselves to others. God, thank You that at the end of my life, the only grade You will have for me is an A fpbecause I trust in You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Sunday, November 16, 2014

John 7:38 - "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"

Ephesians 5:18-21 - And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Philippians 4:5-7 - Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Dear God, when Tom acted unreasonably toward me and became hateful and began believing lies and spreading lies, I thought there was no way I could ever forgive him for the pain he caused. He acted in a way that was up characteristic of him and not at all what I know he is able to be. But God, You are growing me. Tom may have had some unrealistic expectations of me and I of him. If he asks for forgiveness, he will have it. If he does decide to refriend me on Facebook as evidence of his forgiveness toward me, I will accept it. Because that is what a real friend does. That is what a real friend who has put God at the center of the relationship does. It is about grace. It is also about mercy and love and reverence. My heart is overflowing with You right now and I ask You to allow me to share it with Tom and with whoever else encounters me. Now does that mean that I will always be perfect in demonstrating You to others? No. And the crazy thing is that I have also learned that Jesus sometimes had a hot temper as well. And was brutally honest. Please open that door for reconciliation and restoration with Tom. Thank You, God. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Psalm 23:1-3 - A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Isaiah 30:21 - And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "Tis is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

John 10:27 - "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."

Romans 8:1-2 - There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Dear God, help me stay focused on Your voice, and only Your voice, when it comes to knowing which way to go. Help me block out the voices that want to distract me. Help me block out the voices of Mikki and Mark who tried to change who I was created to be because I didn't fit into their little box of what they thought I should be. God, You created me to be different, not the same as everyone else. And if people cannot accept that, then they just are not worth listening to. Help me to trust that You will put the right people in my path who will cheer me on. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Psalm 73:23-24 - Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.

Psalm 73:24 (NLT) - You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.

I Corinthians 13:12 - For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I known in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

Dear God, please lead me through the day ahead. No, it does not look straight. We have plans but they have thrown slightly askew as we now have to add an urgent care clinic to them due to an unexpected and still bleeding nose. It has been several hours since it began and though it has slowed significantly, it is still active. Please help us as we go through both the planned and unplanned parts of this day. Thank You for Your guidance and leadership. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Friday, November 14, 2014

Psalm 34:5 - Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.

II Corinthians 3:18 - And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

II Corinthians 5:21 - For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Galatians 5:25 - If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Dear God, thank You for seeing me just the way You created me. Oh, how I wish more autistics and parents of autistics could see the autistics the way You do - perfectly created for a purpose. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Monday, November 10, 2014

Nehemiah 8:10 - Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Isaiah 42:6-7 - "I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, form the prison those who sit in darkness."

Romans 15:13 - May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Romans 15:13 (CEV) - I pray that God, who gives hope, will bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith. And may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.

Colossians 1:27 - To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Dear God, I want to sit back and enjoy the mysteries of You. Thank You for Your joy and peace and love and grace and forgiveness. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Psalm 23:5 - You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Luke 11:9-10 - "And I will tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

Romans 8:32 - He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Dear God, thank You for the blessing You pour out upon me. Help me to not feel like having good days is a bad thing. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Psalm 105:4 - Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Ephesians 1:15-23 - For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according tot he working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Ephesians 1:18-19 (ICB) - I pray that you will know that the blessings God has promised his holy people are rich and glorious. And you will know that God's power is very great for us who believe.

Dear God, thank You for always being there for me helping me no matter what I go through during the day. Help me to always remember that You are there. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Psalm 41:12 - But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.

Psalm 41:12 (ICB) - You will let me be with you forever.

Psalm 89:15-16 - Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face, who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted.

I John 3:19-20 - By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.

Jude 24-25 - Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Dear God, help me stay focused on no matter what comes my way. Thank You for always being with me. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Deuteronomy 31:6 - "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you."

Luke 12:22-26 - And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?"

II Corinthians 10:5 -6 - We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

Dear God, help me to rest in You today and to not worry about tomorrow. Worrying will not add any time to my life, however long or short it may be. Thank You for letting me live to see another birthday. And if You see fit, please allow Tom and I to reconcile with each other. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Psalm 102:26-27 - They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.

Isaiah 41:8-10 - But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, "You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off"; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Acts 17:26-28 - And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for "'In him we live and move and have being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.'"

Dear God, thank You for never changing. Help me focus on that the next time someone takes a turn for the worse and turns ugly against me. Be with me. Hold me close to You. Never let me stray. Remind me of Your promises when I do face the hard times. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Psalm 27:4 - One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire (meditate) in his temple.

Psalm 27:4 (ICB) - I ask only one thing form the Lord. This is what I want: Let me live in the Lord's house all my life. Let me see the Lord's beauty. Let me look around in his Temple.

Psalm 29:2 - Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

Dear God, how beautiful is Your creation, all of it, down to the littlest detail of the color of the hair on a baby's head and the veins on the rose petal. Please make me more and more beautiful each day. Help me to lye go of that which mars the beautiful piece You are making with me. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

I did not vote for you because I am tired of the republican rhetoric of repeal the Affirdable Care Act, aka Obamacare. Why? Because I was one of the fighters to get something done to end the abuses of insurance companies. I saw problems as early as 2005 while Bush was still president, and wrote countless letters to him about the problems we were having with BCBS of Alabama. And he kept promising things would change, but they never did. Not until President. Obama came along and took the republican plan and ran with it. But listen up, Mr. Palmer. Just because I did not vote you, I am still your constituent. You are still supposed to represent me in D.C. And here is what I need from you if you are going to do that job well: I need you to strengthen the ACA. You may make it better, but you may not repeal it. If you repeal it, the insurance companies will go right back to where we started before the ACA came along to fix the problems. I am sure to get dropped at my next illness, and with an immune deficiency, I have a lot. If I get dropped, I will be lucky to survive the six month wait until the state high risk pool will take me, but tell me something, why on earth do you want to force me into a position of having to go on tax payer funded medical care? As long as I have private insurance, I am responsible for myself. No one else is. Not you, not Joe Blow down the street. Me. So, listen, the ACA, is actually a good thing. Second, you work hard to get the veterans what they need: jobs, VA or private care, COLA, etc. My mom sacrificed her time to serve this country. And I am proud of her. But I am sick of the stand offs in D.C. Because of those stand offs, my mom is back on the job market and she is having struggles. Third, you fight hard to make sure the disabled do not lose their benefits and fight to get the ABLE Act passed. The main hold up for me being to work even part-time now is the fact that I need hearing aids. And I have exhausted all my resources trying to get them so far. But because I am disabled, I need the SSI benefits to help cover expenses that insurance does not cover. Hearing aids cost $3000 and I am only allowed $2000. Per year. The ABLE Act will allow me to save for those hearing aids without penalty. Look, I did not ask to be disabled. But once we knew what was going on with me, I had some smart people from a church who knew where I needed to go to get help. And even though that church abused me when they learned if have autism, the few smart people there that referred me to the right places for help did a great job. Wisdom was taking their advice and seeking the help. Fourth, do not cut SNAP anymore. Really? As long as elderly, disabled, and veterans along with active duty military families and people who do work need it, do not cut it anymore. Fifth, and last of all, raise the minimum wage. When I looked up what a person needs to make in Shelby County to not be in poverty, the results were for a family of two to not be in poverty, one worker needs to make $14 an hour. Minimum. Minimum wage was established to be a living wage. Look it up. But when you raise the wage, close the loophole allowing employers to get away with paying disabled people as little as 22 cents an hour! What on earth? So there you have it, Mr. Palmer. Sincerely, Susan Spann

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Well, God. I just do not know what to believe any more. The least of these in this country are now screwed. Republicans want to repeal the ACA, screw the disabled by taking away their benefits, screw the veterans by taking away their benefits, and well, poor Jesus has been kicked to the curb with no food, no water, and no clothes. I am ashamed. And I am weary. Prove to me I can still trust You. Make sure that my family does not lose my insurance or any of the benefits we need to help my family not end up homeless or me dead. I am sorry God. My trust wavers right now.

Dear God, as You already know, the least of these are suffering tremendously because of the hatred that certain people have for the president. Although I hope for Groffith and Lester, I just do not think Christians have awakened to their foolish arrogance yet. Today, if Jesus were a resident of Alabama, He would be called a lazy moocher just because He has a disability that keeps Him from working and needs help from SNAP, SSI, and Medicaid. As appalling as that may sound, it would be the truth. Also, He would be abused by most churches. It saddens me that the reality is that Jesus is apparently not welcome in Alabama nor in the United States. Well, God, I want to change that. Welcome to my house Jesus. I do not have a lot, but what I have is for You to share with me. God, You know my heart. And. You know my needs. I am scared, but I am trusting You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Monday, November 3, 2014

Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

John 8:29 - "And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him."

Hebrews 11:5-6 - By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Dear God, I want to please You in everything I do even as I write my letter to Tom offering forgiveness and an open door to reconciliation and restoration. I want to concentrate on pleasing You more than pleasing others even if pleasing You might take me down an unpopular path in life. Thank You, God. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Genesis 28:15 - "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

Romans 8:38-39 - For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Philippians 4:12 - I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

Philippians 4:12 (ICB) - I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens.

Philippians 4:19 - And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Dear God, You are with me everywhere I go. You will meet my needs according to Your riches. Nothing can separate me from Your love. You have chosen me. You have allowed me to experience autism firsthand. And no matter how hard people want to disapprove of me because I do not fit into their "perfect" little mold of what they think I should be like, You still love me for who I am, perfect in Your image and sight and mind. You will make sure my family is taken care of financially so that we can pay the bills and food and medicine and doctors and insurance and house and cars. You will even restore friendship with Tom even if it looks different in the beginning of the restoration. You will help me find a new church that will accept me for who I am, autism and all, and will not be mean bullies and try to change who You created me to be just because I am brutally honest to a fault. Will you protect me from the wrong path that people just thrust America onto last night? The republicans are gunning to throw me off a cliff just because I am disabled. Thank You, God. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Psalm 29:11 - May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!

Psalm 29:11 (NLT) - The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.

Hebrews 13:20-21 - Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Dear God, the biggest challenge for me today has to be the elections. Help me remember to choose the candidate who will hold the best interest of the least of these in the forefront and not continue to deny healthcare to them or continue to try to take it away from them. Help me to reflect on those points about what Your sheep would do and how to treat the least of these as I would treat Jesus. Help me also as I ponder more about what Brittany Maynard decided with regard to life and death decisions and to keep sharing the TRUE Gospel message with others about Your grace and Your love. And lastly, please lead us to the mouse that might actually be a kangaroo before it drives us completely insane! Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Philippians 3:7-11 - But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith–that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Philippians 3:8 (CEV) - Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ.

Colossians 4:2 - Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

Dear God, it is hard to think of disappointments as garbage compared to knowing You. Some of those disappointments are huge. Help me to seek You out in the disappointments though and to let You turn them into positives. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Psalm 116:5-7 - Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

Psalm 116:5-7 (CEV) - You are kind, lord, so good and merciful. You protect ordinary people, and when I was helpless, you saved me and treated me so kindly that I don't need to worry anymore.

Isaiah 30:15-16 - For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." But you were unwilling, and you said, "No! We will flee upon horses"; therefore you shall flee away; and, "We will ride upon swift steeds"; therefore your pursuers shall be swift.

Ephesians 5:20 - ...giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,...

Dear God, I am helpless at times, and I do need Your help. The world should be ashamed for making people feel ashamed when they need help. They should be ashamed for demonizing people who need help. Let us remember going into elections that You favor the poor and the weak and the sick over the healthy and rich and strong. After all, You sent Your Son, not for the rich and the strong and the healthy, but for the poor and the weak and the sick. Thank You for helping me in my need. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church

About Me

30-something blogger who loves God and is striving everyday to know Him more. ADHD. Mild-Moderate Autism.. Gluten Free. Casein Free. Allergen Free. Life's a journey. Dance like your life depends on it. Never be afraid to try a new skill. You could be the next Picasso or Mozart.